Column: Cambridge Climate Congress calls for citizen action

Tuesday

Dec 6, 2016 at 9:30 AMDec 6, 2016 at 9:30 AM

By John Pitkin, Vice President of Green Cambridge

In the Nov. 12 final session of the second Cambridge Climate Congress, 50 delegates signed a citizens’ “Statement of Response” calling for individual and community action to “adapt our way of living, conserve natural resources and systems, and restore the natural cycles on which life on earth depends.”

According to the statement, action is necessary “now to protect ourselves, future generations, and life on earth from the conditions of a changing climate.”

It further states that response has become an obligation of citizenship in a “universal community mutual of responsibility.”

In making this statement, the congress relied on the framework for action at all levels established by the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

The signers include members of Mothers Out Front, Green Cambridge, the Sierra Club, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate, Elder Climate Action, the South Asia Center, the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpreters and several faith-based organizations.

As the final act of the eight events of congress, the statement fulfilled Mayor E. Denise Simmons’s charge to “build a community of response to climate change” when she convened the congress on Oct. 1.

The congress was convened by Mayor Simmons and city Councilor Jan Devereux and organized by Green Cambridge with support from the city of Cambridge, Mothers Out Front, the South Asia Center and HEET. In opening the congress, Mayor Simmons said, “the issue facing everyone today is how to respond in the best possible way, whatever our circumstances and differences. We can’t all be climate activists, but there are steps we can all be taking.”

The first Cambridge Climate Congress was held in 2009-10 and was focused on building public awareness of climate change and on promoting a municipal response.

After opening with a session of informational presentations, the congress held a series of six panel discussions on the diversity of responses to climate change as preparation for the Nov. 12 action plenary session. The congress’ 96 citizen-delegates reflecting the diversity of Cambridge’s residents participated in the congress.

The proceedings and findings of the congress are documented in the congress’ report “On Building a Community of Response to Climate Change.” The report also defines the three “pathways of response,” adaptation, conservation and restoration, as well as the practices of climate citizenship. This report and video recordings of the congress sessions and discussions are available for viewing at greencambridge.org/climatecongress2016.

“We look forward to working with members of other climate response organizations, Mayor Simmons and Councilor Devereux to rapidly spread the ideal and practices of climate citizenship in Cambridge and beyond,” said Quinton Zondervan, president of Green Cambridge.

John Pitkin wrote this op-ed on behalf of himself and other 2016 Cambridge Climate Congress Organizing Committee members: Quinton Zondervan, John Hixson and Brian Johnson.